


Sarah Jane and Mrs Wormwood

by MauraMae



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Female Homosexuality, Femslash, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 14:26:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 3,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MauraMae/pseuds/MauraMae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mrs Wormwood saves Sarah Jane at the cost of her own health. How will Sarah Jane react to having a dying Bane in her attic? When Sarah Jane befriends the Alien woman... how will the rest of the Bannerman road crew react?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Arrival

Sarah Jane Smith gently lowered the unconscious woman onto the sofa. Mr Smith was whirring away behind her but she wasn't paying any attention to that. Only the woman, the dear, dear woman.

"You'd better not die on me, Mrs Wormwood." That was all Sarah Jane managed before she broke down in tears.

She lay her head on the edge of the sofa and cried freely. Hardly anything made her cry nowadays. But, what this woman had done for her, what she had been through...

"Mum! Muuum!" Luke called from downstairs.

Sarah Jane may as well have been unconscious herself for the attention she was paying to her surroundings.

"Sarah Jane," Mr Smith pressed, "Luke is calling you, Sarah Jane."

She wept, silently now, for she didn't want Luke to know.

A hand reached out and touched her shoulder, "Mum, what's wrong?" Luke asked, concerned. He knew Sarah Jane wasn't one for crying. He went on sit on the sofa, but noticed Mrs Wormwood in the way. He looked from her, to Sarah Jane, to Mrs Wormwood again. "What's she done to you? What is it, mum?" He took her hand, "We can make it better. I promise!"

Sarah Jane looked at him, his concerned face, his sincere face, and she shook her head. "You... you don't, don't understand!" She blubbered, still crying. "Not you, you won't hurt you! I won't let you!" She crouched back over the unconscious Mrs W. and left Luke, very much confused.

"Mr Smith? What's going on?" He asked.

"From what I understand Luke, Mrs Wormwood and Kaagh survived the portal to Horath, and Kaagh betrayed Mrs Wormwood by telling Horath he was free to destroy the Earth. Mrs Wormwood, because of you, was not happy with that idea, but Horath wanted to destroy the Earth anyway. Somehow the Bane woman beat Horath here, and tried to warn Sarah Jane, however because of Mrs Wormwoods previous problems with picking the right side to defend, we did not believe her. Consequently she felt the need the protect us, or rather, protect us to protect you. When Horath arrived on our doorstep, Mrs Wormwood used her Sonic Disrupter to stop the teleportation process and destroy Horath. Kaagh had already teleported, and, from what I understand, used his new found weapons of mind control, curtsey of Horath, to torture Mrs Wormwood into unconsciousness. Not before she had shot him with her Sonic Disrupter though."

Luke was silent for a minute or two, processing the information. "So... why is mum crying?" He finally asked.

"Insufficient data." Mr Smith replied.


	2. Fear Grows in Silence

Two hours had passed since Luke had returned from school, yet Sarah Jane was still in the attic. No longer crying, her tears had long since run dry. Rani had come to see him, and they were both in the kitchen, wondering about Sarah Jane.

"I'm sure Luke, come dinner time it will be OK. She's probably just feeling guilty because if she had believed Mrs Wormwood then maybe there wouldn't be a dying alien on her sofa."

"WOWA! Did I miss something?" Clyde stuck his head round the doorway, "Dying alien? Where?"

Rani rolled her eyes, "Nice of you to knock, Clyde!"

Luke got up and pulled Clyde to the table, "Not so loud! It's mum, she's been in the attic all day. Mrs Wormwood is unconscious upstairs, something to do with Horath and Kaagh."

Clyde sat down, "Ooh, is she actually dying?"

Rani looked at Clyde, mouth slightly agape. "You have the subtlety of a dead fish, you know that?"

Clyde grinned.

Luke just looked worried.

"Hey," Clyde said, pulling Luke into a one sided hug, "Can't be that bad can it? After all, this is Sarah Jane we're talking about, she's strong. She'll make it."

"...Or not."

Luke had brought Rani and Clyde upstairs, quietly so as not to disturb Sarah Jane, but it looked as though they needn't have worried about the noise. Sarah Jane was slumped against the sofa, asleep, her hand in Mrs Wormwood's, a lone tear streaking down her pained face. Mrs Wormwood was completely expressionless, undistinguishable from the dead, apart from the occasional rising and sinking of her chest.

Rani went up to Sarah Jane and knelt in front of her, "Sarah Jane? Sarah Jane can you hear me?" She shook her shoulder a bit.

Sarah Jane screwed up her eyes and opened them a bit. She saw Luke, Clyde and Rani grinning at her, nervously. She was about to grin back then she remembered. She spun round to see the Bane woman still out cold, and realised in her own head there was an extremely painful thumping. She rested her head on the sofa edge, and closed her eyes.

Rani looked up at Luke, who bit his lip.

"Well, I'd better be going actually," Clyde said, nearly at the attic door already. He waved, just as Rani came up to join him.

"Yeah, me too. See ya Luke," She smiled. Good Luck, she mouthed.

Luke nodded, then turned back to the depressed woman whom he had come to think of as stronger than steel.


	3. Trust Gita

"I'm just so worried, Rani. I mean what can I do? She hasn't been eating, drinking, and she ignores me, and Mr Smith. What can we do?" Luke pleaded.

It had been a week, Sarah Jane was practically living at the end of the sofa. Mrs Wormwood still hadn't woken, and so was completely oblivious that the woman at her side _had not left her once._

"I don't know Luke, what can we do? We don't know how to get the Doctor, and we can't really involve anyone else because they'll want to know how Mrs W. became unconscious, and why she isn't in a hospital." Even Rani, calm, contented Rani had become ruffled by the events at 13 Bannerman Road.

"Why who isn't in a hospital?" Gita walked in the room, holding a cup of tea and a slice of cake. She sat down next to Luke. "Well, spill the beans. I love a bit of gossip."

"Muum!" Rani whined, "We were talking."

"I know." Mrs Chandra giggled. "Now I am too. So..."

Luke looked to Rani, who shrugged.

"Come on, I haven't got all day." Gita encouraged them.

Luke sighed. "Its my mum, Sarah Jane, she's... Well... We've got a guest staying at ours, and, she travelled a long way to get here. She's ill, and mum's has become really depressed." Luke put his head in his hands. "She hasn't spoken to me since, nor to anyone. She never leaves Mrs Wormwoods side." Luke stood up, "I'm worried. Mum's never done anything like this before." Luke frowned, he was always frowning now. "I have to go. Bye Rani. Bye Gita."

"Well." Said Gita, giggling slightly.

Rani looked horrified, "Mum, its not funny, its serious!" She stormed outside, to watch Luke cross the street and see if she could apologise for Gita's behaviour. To her surprise, he was right outside her door.

"Oh, Luke! I'm sorry.. I" She started.

"No, no its OK. I... It was good, telling someone." He nodded. "I think."

They both looked up at the house.

"See ya, Rani." Luke sounded sorry to be going.

Rani reached out for Luke, "Bu-"

Luke turned round, and half smiled, though his eyes weren't into it. "She scares me like this."

He frowned, and looked at the floor as if regretting saying that, and crossed the road, and disappeared from sight.

"Ooh. Scandal!" Gita said, from behind the open door, her eyes sparkling.

Rani glared.

"I was only joking." Mrs Chandra said, defensively.

"Well, its not funny, mum. I'm scared too." Rani admitted.

Gita handed Rani her tea, and walked to the pavement. "Allow me." And with that she started walking towards number 13.


	4. We Did Warn You

"Hello? Sarah Jane?" Gita called out. This place really was big, she thought. I can see why Rani likes it here.

"Mrs Chandra?" Luke appeared at the top of the stairs. "What are you doing here? Did I leave something?" He asked, while he quickly but gracefully, made his way down the flight of steps.

"Oh, no. No, nothing like that." Gita waved the thought aside. "I was thinking, I would come see how Susie Jane was. You know, cheer her up a bit."

Luke bit his lip. "That's very nice, Mrs Chandra, but..."

"Gita, call me Gita dear. And I'm sure Sarah won't mind."

Half an hour later Gita came out of 13 Bannerman Road, angry and yet, slightly depressed.

"Well?" Rani asked, afraid of the answer.

"Completely ignored me!" She said, throwing her hands in the air. "Completely. I may as well not have been there! Where's your father?" She demanded, storming past. "He will here about this, ooh, yes he will..."

Luke wasn't the only one worried about his mother that night.


	5. Doctor, Doctor!

Sarah Jane had butterfly's doing back-flips in her stomach. Her eyes were black pits, overfilling with worry and grief.

"Mum." Luke pressed for the hundredth time today. "Please mum." He sighed, leaning back against the doorframe to the attic.

Sarah Jane sighed, oblivious to anyone but Mrs Wormwood. Sarah grabbed Mrs Wormwood's hand and squeezed it. "Please wake up." She pleaded in a small voice.

Luke looked delighted. It was the first form of communication he'd heard from Sarah Jane in days. "Mum? Mum! You're..."

Luke was cut off from what he was saying by a TARDIS appearing right in front of him.

He raised an eyebrow as an attractive young twenty something clambered out, smoke trailing behind her.

"Doctor?" He asked.

He heard a laugh from behind, and saw a rather raggedy man step out. He was wearing a suit with a bow-tie, noticeably younger looking, and had hair that was ever so slightly one fire.

"Hello Lukey Boy! Where's your mum then?" He asked, rather condescendingly.

"Oh, Doctor! Your hair!" The redhead pointed out.

He quickly brushed off the flames. "Look at this Luke, STILL NOT GINGER!"

The woman in the miniskirt laughed. "Doctor..." She sighed.

"So," The Doctor asked, looking round, "Where is your mother?"

"If you haven't squashed her," Luke said sharply, pointing to behind the TARDIS, which conveniently faded away, leaving only the sound of the engines to ever prove it was there.

Sarah Jane was crying again, silently this time. She was sitting on the floor, head leaning on the sofa, holding Mrs Wormwood's hand.

"Ooh no." The Doctor looked terrible. Suddenly, all the youth was gone from his face, wrinkles appeared in his forehead, and he looked truly troubled.

He sat in front of her, legs crossed. "Sarah?" He asked.

No response. She continued to cry, tears flowing down her face.

He caught one with his thumb, wiping it away, then forced her to look at him, a hand on her chin.

Sarah looked, but didn't see.

"What happened?" Asked the Doctor and Amy at the same time, the Doctor urgently, Amy caringly.

As Luke explained, Rani and Clyde came in the attic.

"Things are looking up around here, ay?" Clyde said, eyeing up Amy.

Rani punched him. "Hi, I'm Rani and this is Clyde, you are?" She asked.

"Oow, don't you remember me?" The Doctor asked, getting up. "I'm the Doctor, new face, same old Doctor!"

Rani smiled, "Hi. I see you changed clothes too."

The Doctor shook his head, smiling. Amy wandered over and introduced herself too, while the Doctor went back to Sarah Jane.

"My Sarah Jane... What has the world done to you?" He asked, quietly to himself.

Nobody but the Doctor noticed but she looked up, with fear in her eyes.

"Doctor?" It was barely more than a whisper, but he heard it.

He smiled, that smile only a TimeLord has.

"Sarah Jane Smith."

She hugged him, properly hugged him. She held him fierce, scared someone might take him away, and he hugged her back too, glad for his sake, and Luke's that she was back.

"Look!" Clyde practically yelled.

Sarah Jane stood up, with some help from the Doctor, and smiled at them.

"She's alive!" Clyde joked.

"Mum!"

"Luke!" Sarah Jane went to walk over to Luke, who was rushing towards her from the other end of the attic, but she barely made a step. She faltered, and had it not been for the Doctor, would have fallen.


	6. Dizzying Love

"Doctor?" She asked, voice faltering. She looked up into his eyes, and saw concern. That wasn't good.

The Doctor had Sarah Jane in his arms. God, he thought, the woman weighs next to nothing. "Sarah? What happened?"

"I... I don't know. I just, well, my knees..." Her voice broke. Shame and fear burnt her face.

Luke was standing next to the Doctor, and was scrutinising Sarah's face. "Its because you wouldn't eat." He decided.

The Doctor turned to Luke. "What?" He asked, carefully putting Sarah on her feet, and wrapped his arms around her waist to catch her again if she feel.

"Mum hasn't come out the attic, nor has she spoken to anyone. Its like we didn't exist. She wouldn't eat, nor drink." Luke stepped forward and stroked Sarah Jane's face, "We were worried about you."

The Doctor gasped, and bit his lip, "Luke, you said she was up here for a week?" He confirmed.

"Yeah..."

Amy gasped too, "A week. Without eating or drinking. Doctor... How?"

Sarah leaned on the Doctor, and closed her eyes, "How what?" She murmured.

"How did you stay alive?" The Doctor replied.


	7. A Grand Exit

"I believe I may be able to answer that." Mr Smith said, monotone.

The Doctor and Amy turned to the supercomputer.

"What's that?" Asked Amy.

"Its a supercomputer. Sarah Jane built it. Now shh!" The Doctor replied, "Yes, Mr Smith?"

"The Bane have the ability of self preservation whilst their body's are repairing. Perhaps as Sarah Jane has been so close to Mrs Wormwood whilst she was in this state, the nutritional substances was spread between them both. Enough to keep the vital functions going, but, as we have seen, not enough for activity." Mr Smith suggested.

Luke thought about this for a second. "Its plausible," He nodded.

The Doctor looked at Sarah Jane, who's head rested on his shoulder. He shrugged that shoulder once, and Sarah immediately stood straight, fear making her pupils dilate. She looked around the attic, and once realising there was no danger, sighed and once more allowed her body to slump against the Doctors.

"Psst. Earth to Sarah Jane." The Doctor stage-whispered.

"Hmm..." She replied.

"You hungry?" He whispered.

"Yeah, kinda." She whispered back. "Psst. Why are we whispering?"

"I dunno," He replied. The Doctor gave Sarah Jane a mischievous grin before picking her up, and carrying her downstairs, much against her protests.


	8. Where Have The Kids Gone?

Sarah Jane bit into a biscuit with vengeance and a frown. The Doctor refused to allow her back upstairs before she had finished her tea and plate of digestives, and she still wasn't strong enough to walk. Food was low in her house, as Luke had no idea about shopping.

Sitting on the sofa opposite her Amy leaned forward, "So Sarah," before realising everyone called her Sarah Jane, "can I call you Sarah?"

Sarah covered her mouth with her hand, "Sarah Jane," She mumbled through a mouthful of biscuit.

"Oh, right, sorry. So Sarah Jane. Why is this 'Wormwood' person so important that you skipped meals?" Amy asked, curious.

Sarah Jane stopped midway into biting into her last biscuit. She put it back onto the plate, and pulled her legs onto the sofa. She grabbed the TV remote, and started fiddling with the buttons. "Well," She started.

"Its because she's the one who created me." Luke interjected.

Amy frowned, "Created?"

"I'm not human, I'm ..." Luke tried to explain.

"My son nonetheless." Sarah Jane told him. She looked to Amy, "Mrs Wormwood tried to destroy Earth more than once, so when she came here saying Horath wanted to destroy the world, and can I help her stop him, naturally I thought she was lying." Sarah Jane swallowed, all her confidence used up. "If I had believed her," Her lower lip trembled, "If I had only believed her," She put her head in her hands, unable to continue.

Amy came over from her armchair and put her hands on Sarah Jane's shoulder, "I'm sorry, I … I didn't know, I..."

"Hello?" The Doctor came downstairs. He poked his head round the corner. "Where have the kids gone?" He asked Amy.

Rani, Clyde and Luke all waved at him from by the window.

"Oh." He blushed.

"Doctor..." Amy whined. She stood up, "I didn't mean to make her cry, I just... I was only curious and..."

The Doctor waved her off, and sat down to Sarah Jane. He pulled her into a hug so she was leaning on him, feet on the settee. "What we going to do with you, ay?" He asked, smiling sadly. "What are we going to do with you?"


	9. That Just Takes The Biscuit

Rani stood up, "I should be getting back..." She whispered.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane were asleep on the sofa, hugging each other, and Amy was singing softly to herself.

Clyde stood up too, "Yeaaaah" He said, stretching.

Rani walked over to the door, and took Sarah Jane's last biscuit.

Clyde shook his head, "Subtle. Real subtle."

Luke shooed them both out, "See you tomorrow."

The Doctor woke up to the sound of Randy Newman's 'I will go sailing no more'.

"Clearly I, will go sailing, no mooorrreeee..."

He chuckled.

"Oh, Doctor!" Amy fell off the chair arm, which just made the Doctor laugh even more.

"Huuhhh?" Sarah Jane murmured.

"Now look what you did, Doctor!" Amy said, dusting off her jeans.

"Me?" Said the Doctor between chuckles, "You're the one singing and falling off chairs!"

Sarah Jane yawned.

"How you feelin'?" Asked Amy.

Sarah Jane blinked her eyes, and furrowed her eyebrows. "Huh?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "You haven't eaten or drunk in a week, you nearly fainted earlier, and you've been asleep for uh... let see... five hours."

The Doctor sat up, causing Sarah Jane to nearly collapse into the space beside him. "Five hours? No way!"

Sarah Jane swatted the Doctor on the head, "Don't do that again!" She ordered, sleep-slurring only slightly.

Amy smiled, then took Sarah's empty plate and mug into the kitchen.

"Did ya see that?" Sarah asked, still bleary eyed.

"What?" Asked the Doctor, moving to sit opposite her.

"All the biscuits are gone. And I drank all the tea." Sarah smiled, swinging her legs off the seat.

The Doctor grinned, "OK, you win."

As the Doctor carried her up the stairs he commented, "I swear you didn't eat that last biscuit."

Sarah Jane silently agreed, and thanked the stars for her young friends.

In the attic, apart from Mr Smith whose fans were running, creating the impression he was humming, everything was quiet.

"Hello Sarah Jane, Doctor." He greeted. "There has been no change in Mrs Wormwood's condition."

The Doctor noticed Sarah's eyes glistening slightly.

"She'll wake up." He told her.

Sarah nodded. Then shook her head, "When?"


	10. Breakfast and Blueberries

The Doctor stayed with Sarah Jane throughout the night, whilst Amy slept in the guest room. Come morning the Doctor had disappeared, Luke found him trying to work the un-plugged-in kettle.

"Here." Luke offered, "Allow me."

Whilst Luke made breakfast for four, the Doctor pondered on something that had been nagging in the back of his mind. "How come you didn't phone?"

"Huh?" Asked Luke, looking over his shoulder whilst spreading butter on toast.

"You didn't contact me. Why not?"

Luke brought a plate piled high with toast and set it between them, "We didn't know how. Short of creating a national crisis, we didn't know how." He explained.

"Couldn't you just phone?" The Doctor mumbled through buttered toast, wondering where the custard was.

"You have a phone?" Said Luke, unconvinced.

"Yeah! Keeping up with the times, that's me! It's a Blueberry 'n' all!"

"You mean Blackberry." Luke corrected, reaching for seconds.

"Naah, Blueberry. Its the better version... The... newer one."

Luke tilted his head. "How new?"

The Doctor smiled as he raided Sarah Jane's cupboards, "Uh, bluuh," He wondered. Um... maybe... 2013... 2014... or..." He glanced over at Luke. Wow that boy took after his mother, the Doctor couldn't withstand her glare either. "2016."

Much to his surprise, Luke laughed. It was an odd sound, decidedly feminine. Luke wasn't even moving his lips. "How..." The Doctor started, then realised.

"Amelia! Come," He beckoned, "Eat, laugh. No wait, you're doing that already!"

The laughing stopped, and for the second time in two days someone slapped his head.

"Hey!"


End file.
